UFC legend imagines a duel with Poatan and claims he would make history in the current era: 'I would massacre everyone'

Poatan focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

Daniel Cormier He believes his MMA career could have been even more dominant if his peak had coincided with the current generation of UFC fighters. The former light heavyweight (up to 93kg) and heavyweight (up to 120,2kg) champion retired in 2020 after winning five title fights. In his view, today's competitive landscape, especially in the 93kg division, would be more favorable to his style, further enhancing his legacy within the organization.

In an appearance on a video published by influencer Alien Films, Cormier explained that he sees a clear lack of wrestlers among the top names in the light heavyweight division today. According to him, this absence would make the path more accessible for an athlete with his grappling base, allowing for dominant victories. DC also highlighted that, as champion, he would seek to face... Alex Poatán because he is the biggest star in the category, combining sporting relevance and financial return.

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“If I were at the peak of my career in the light heavyweight division right now, there wouldn’t be any wrestlers. I would be massacring everyone. There are no wrestlers in the light heavyweight division. I would probably fight Pereira because he’s the biggest star and you want to make as much money as possible as champion,” he said. Daniel Cormier

To reinforce the contrast, the former champion recalled that, in his time, the top of the rankings was mostly composed of athletes with a strong wrestling background, such as Jon Jones, Ryan bader, Phil Davis e Rashad evans.

When I was fighting, the top five were me, Jones, Ryan bader, Phil Davis, Rashad evans "There were many wrestlers," concluded the former champion.

Current state of the UFC light heavyweight division

Besides the champion Alex PoatánThe top 5 in the light heavyweight division is mostly made up of athletes who come from a striking background. Among them are Jiri Prochazka, Carlos Ulberg, Khalil rountree e Jan Blachowicz, all recognized for their stand-up game. The exception is Magomed Ankalayev, who has a background in grappling and was a world champion in Combat Sambo. However, in MMA, a large part of his victories were also built through striking.